He is eating grass!

[kap]

I just caught our lit' terrier munching on the grass on our backyard lawn. He puked afterwards. I am concerned he might swallowed some nasty bugs or their eggs and get sick. Should we feed him more than a cupful of dry dog food once a day? Is this a normal behavior in dogs? TiA

Kap

[lafinfil]

Some believe dogs will eat grass when they have an upset tummy - others because they like it

Nor really defined but do a google search for lots of opinions

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=dog+eat+grass&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8


As long as grass isn't treated he should be OK -

It's common behavior - report back if he starts mooing :-)

[kap]

lafinfil Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dogs will eat grass when they have an upset tummy
> - common behavior
>
Should we give him something for his upset tummy then?

> report back if he starts mooing :-)
>
LOL ...

[lafinfil]

Sorry - did a little edit

Like I said - not even vets know for sure

Every dog I have ever been around has eaten grass at one time or another
I wouldn't worry unless he keeps vomiting - then call your vet

If the grass is treated with lawn chemicals then I would worry

[AlphaDog]

My vet told me NOT to let Louie eat grass. She said she once had to do emergency surgery on a dog who had been eating grass, then threw up, and a blade of grass was propelled back up, and it lodged in his nasal passage. (Think choking on Coke and having it come out your nose.) Of course, the only way I've found to keep Louie from eating grass is the stern "No!" and making him come back inside.

Is the dog vomiting up bile or food? I have to make sure Louie eats every 12 hours. If he gets too hungry, he does throw up, and it's nothing but bile. If your dog is vomiting on an empty stomach, maybe you should split his servings of food up into two or three feeding times a day. If he's vomiting up his food, pay close attention to him, and take him to the vet if it happens regularly.

[OWC Larry]

have had dogs for 20+ years and all of them at one point or another have eaten grass without ill effect.

That blade of grass lodging thing is probably one in a million... but your vet might have other reasons for why your dog Louie shouldn't eat grass.

Have had cats for as long too - and they eat grass as well, but usually are more picky about type.

[lafinfil]

If he starts hanging out with cats with grass - then you got a problem

[tuqqer]

Dogs eat grass because they need to purge. They know instinctively that the grass, at that moment, is exactly what they need. Grass is extremely high in chlorophyll, one of the stronger blood purifiers in nature.

Given that most dogs are fed an extremely processed diet, very similar to crackers and spam, they need every access to raw food that they can get ahold of, even if it's just grass.

I would highly suggest looking around for a veterinarian who has a more holistic viewpoint and approach to good animal care. Because of the results they are getting, more and morre vets are learning the dietary skills that work for keeping animals healthy. Check 'em out.

And trust your dog's instincts. He's doing what he's doing for a reason.

[$tevie]

I second the idea of splitting his meal up into 2 or 3 meals. 24 hours is a long time to go without eating.

And yes, dogs eat grass and it makes them vomit. This is pretty normal. If you aren't comfortable letting him do it, then don't. But don't worry about "nasty bugs or their eggs". Dogs can eat an amazing amount of things that we would consider gross with no ill effects.

Kap, you might want to think about buying a good book or two about caring for dogs. You seem to be a nervous dog daddy, and perhaps having some books around to consult would help you with that.

[kap]

AlphaDog,
He puked biles with grass pieces intact. I did give him a stern "No!". I gave him a 1/3 of cup of his food. He gulped down in no time.

I will start giving him food twice a day now ... once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

====

lafinfil,
with that type of grass, he'd be more calm

===

It's not so much grass he ate that was a concern. I was thinking he might be swallowing tick or flee's eggs. Then, it would be the vet I'd be running to.

Kap